Republican Florida Rep. Kat Cammack introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at reining in Apple and Google’s dominance over mobile app stores.
Dubbed the “App Store Freedom Act,” the bill would force dominant tech firms to open their mobile platforms to third-party app stores and payment systems, while also banning exclusivity deals and self-preferencing behavior. Backed by the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF), the bill comes amid mounting legal and political pressure on Big Tech to loosen its grip on software distribution and in-app transactions.
“CAF applauds Congresswoman Cammack for introducing the App Store Freedom Act, legislation that will establish a fair and competitive mobile app marketplace.” Gene Burrus, global policy counsel for CAF, said in a statement. “This is a vital step towards empowering developers and consumers by ensuring a level playing field for all participants in the app ecosystem.”
The legislation mandates that operating systems like iOS and Android must allow users to download apps from outside their official app stores, set those alternatives as the default option, and remove any pre-installed apps — including the native app stores — themselves. It also requires the companies to give independent developers the same software tools and features they provide to their own partners — at no additional cost.
The bill also targets rules that force developers to use Apple or Google’s in-house payment systems or prevent them from offering lower prices elsewhere — practices most associated with Apple’s App Store.
“Representative Cammack’s bill would end Apple and Google’s anticompetitive app store practices and give consumers choice in how they access apps and alternative payment options with lower prices in their mobile devices,” Burrus continued. “The legislation would unlock the full potential of the app economy: a vibrant marketplace where both developers and consumers thrive.”
Cammack’s bill mirrors earlier bipartisan efforts to crack down on Big Tech gatekeeping but sharpens the focus on the mobile app economy — a sector increasingly under fire after an April federal court ruling found Apple in contempt over its App Store conduct with Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite.
CAF, whose members include Epic Games, Spotify, Life360 and Match Group, has long accused Apple and Google of abusing their dominance to stifle innovation and overcharge both consumers and developers.
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